Southern California -- this just in

Michael Jackson's death: Jackson's doctor hires a Houston attorney

June 27, 2009 | 12:40
pm

The physician who was in Michael Jackson's Holmby Hills mansion before his death has hired an attorney from a Houston-based law firm to represent him as they meet with LAPD officials at an undisclosed location at 4 p.m. today.

Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist with offices in Houston and Las Vegas, has been identified as the singer's personal doctor and was brought on to care for the 50-year-old's health during an upcoming concert series. The initial Jackson autopsy results are inconclusive, and the investigation is focused on whether the pop icon overdosed on prescription drugs.

Attorney Edward M. Chernoff of Stradley, Chernoff and Alford arrived in Los Angeles Friday night with another associate form the law firm, said Bill Stradley, who is also a partner of the firm.

"Our assumption at this point is that he didn't do anything wrong,' Stradley said of Murray. The firm agreed to represent Murray only Friday night, and they are still familiarizing themselves with the issues.

A biography of Chernoff on the firm's website describes him as the patriarch of the firm who "handles the most complicated cases of the firm." He has worked with the Harris County district attorney's office, where he lost one felony jury trial out of 40, according to the biography.